Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-11-22
uNRlvALED SCENERY.

Yudescribable Grandeur of the Grand Cam
yon OF the Arkansas and the Plains
The Grand Canyon of the Arkansas
excels in majesty any scene which 1t
has yet been our privilege to look upon
How many ages or centuries or thou
sands of years the remorseless river
was engaged in cutting its way through
these everlasting mountains is mat
ter Of conjecture. The channel of tho
river Cat this point not large one)
pursues u tortuous way for many miles
between the lofty rocks. which its
eeaseless cravings have severed. The
solid walls. rising sometimes almost
pcrpendicularly TO the height OF eleven
hundred feet, the winding course of the
canyon apparently closing us in a
doorless prison. the skylight seeking
to penetrate the depths Of the abyss,
and splashing rain, all added to tho
beauty, the grandeur, the terror. the
excitement. and the pleasure OF the
occasion. Our good engine. with re-
markabie ease and speed. climbing
up the grade on the background OF the
enormous rocks. looked like speck.
a dot. child's plaything. THE
Royal Gorge" AZ 1t is called, Is the
elimination Of tho canyon. Here Is
scarcely room for the river alone. but
mans ingenuity has overcome natures
Instructions, and \ well-used thor
oughfare is the result. Emerging from
tho canyon the road follows tho ArlSan-
sas river to Salida On our left are the
snow covered peaks Of Sangre de Girls
to, Spanish name meaning the Blood
Of Christ" Here we leave the river
and begin to climb and scale the heights
OF Marshall Pass over the great cont,
mental divide.
We wind along tho mountain sides
rising higher aud higher, Our train
Is divided into two sections. Looking
upward we see now line Of earth
which marks tho course Of the road;
now the first section of orr train APP
pears, leading us half Il mile, Looking
downward we see the course we have
come; now one, now two. now three
sections III the road appear Mt once,
tier above tier Looking outward we
see the great slopes Of the majestic
mountains and the rocesses OF the val
leys. The Rockies seem to open the
doors Of their secret chambers aud to
reveal 10 us thoir hidden beauties.
Al length. on the very summit, In u
long snow -shed. through many Of
which we have passed. our painting,
putting engine, liko tired aud over
burdench animal, stops IN Its course.
rs If to gather strength for the struggle
before II In carrying its iond down on
the other side. We are 10, 1913 feet
tmue than two miles) above the level
oil the sea.
The descent with tho loops Of the
road bending back and forth, and with
somewhat milder scenery, Is the re-
verse Of the ascent. Tho train rolls on.
and now darkness comes upon MS. Our
road lay through gorge described ms
"grander deeper, darker, and yet
moro beautiful than we had 50 recent
" passed through II is called the
black canyon. Sitting or standing
upon the back platform OF our car Ne
were quite able 60 sec tho majestic out
lines of this great gorge. Waterfalls,
the swiftly-fiowing river the lofty aud
PRESCRIPTIONS rocks reaching out their
arms ~ il TO crush Us in their em-
brace. the Currecann Necdlc~-an alb
rupt and Isolated pinnacle, symmetrical
mud graceful are all discornihle in the
u al ..ft.I,h l.,.Ia a.. al
of its own, The morning light finds
US on tho great plains
An awful, terrible desert It's
desolatiou is simply Understandable. II
extends for more than one hundred
miles between the Grand and the
Green rivers. and while droary and
somewhat monotonous Is by no means
uninterestng. On the right and loft
nrc arid wastes OF land, bearing h re
and there tho scantiest possible growth
of worthless weeds. Tho hills in color
and in their wrinkied surface remind
ono of the hides Of somo gigantic ele-
phant. The buttcs. with thin, level
tops. preeipitous faces and barren np.
pearance. rise continually on either
side. In the Green river valley irri-
cation has begun to change the barron
ness into fruitfulness. Onward we
speed up the ascent of the Wasatch
range, through Castle Gate, whose
warders ARE the great rocks which
stand At It's entrance, up the Price
river canyon, down which Sydney
Johnston marched his army home
from Utah after no had established the
authority Of cur Government over the
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